Gwen calls for all-out war vs. NPA

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is in a fighting mood and has declared an all out war against insurgents operating in the Province of Cebu.

The lady governor made this announcement during the regular meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC-7) held at the Siquijor town in the Province of Siquijor yesterday.

The suggestion of Prof. Romualdo Generalao of the College of Arts and Sciences of the Cebu Normal University (CNU) to hold peace talks with the members of the New People's Army to address insurgency problem in the mid-north was rejected outright by the governor.

Generalao, who is a reserve officer of the Philippine Army also the representative of the academe to the RPOC, said that in as early as 1980s his research in the mid-northern part of Cebu, specifically in the towns of Tuburan and Asturias, already revealed that there are already insurgents in the area and that it could worsen if no action would be taken against them.

He believes that holding peace talks would be the most appropriate solution to the insurgency problem. "I want all out war. It is either black or white, no ifs or buts," she sternly said.

In the presentation made by Lt. Col. Felicissimo Budiongan, the executive officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Negros Oriental, who represented Central Command chief, Lt. Gen. Samuel Bagasin in the meeting, showed that the NPA strength in Cebu is down to only 38 people and that they have a total 49 firearms in their possession.

Although there are only 38 of them here in the island, the rebels reportedly have influence over an area covering 50 barangays.

According to the military, the Province of Negros Oriental has the highest number of rebels at 128 with 32 firearms, operating in 19 barangays.

Bohol is the second most rebel-infested province in the region with 104 NPA rebels, possessing 108 firearms, but operating only in 12 barangays.

Negros Oriental board member Arturo Umbac said that the reason why the scope of rebel activities is wide in Cebu despite their limited number could be because the top rebels are the ones operating in Cebu.

Of the four provinces in the region, only the Province of Siquijor has no insurgency problem.

In addition, Umbac said NPAs operating in Cebu could be the same rebels operating in Bohol, moving from one place to another depending on situations that would best serve the needs of the movement.

Further, the military reported that there were 42 non-violent activities of rebels in Cebu specifically in the towns of Carmen, Catmon, Sogod, Tabuelan and San Remigio. Non-violent activities include sightings, extortion, recruitment, and teach-ins.

In a meeting US Vice Consul and Political Affairs Officer Rachel Wolfe last Wednesday morning, the governor gave her views on the spate of extra-judicial killings of journalists and activists. Garcia told Wolfe the leftist groups in the country have now gained sectoral representative rights and thus have actually become legal fronts for the communist party. This has also allowed the communist party to have access to government funds.

"We keep on insisting on our rights. All other countries that have overtaken us are focused on their duties. But we, we keep on talking of our rights," she reportedly told Wolfe.

"So now, these leftist groups have a right to access government funds so these can be spent to fund all of these rallies and to buy bullets to be fired against our own military," she added.

As such, she is urging all public officials to realize whose side their on.

"As for me, I'm 100 percent supporting the military in its fight against insurgents and terrorists. By the way, the two can be interchangeable," she said.

Further, Police Regional Office (PRO-7) director Silverio Alarcio Jr. said the police can now conduct its own operations against insurgents so long as they inform the military.

This is unlike before when they had conduct operations along with the military.